The Baltimore Ravens have a gilded quarterback in Joe Flacco and the Super Bowl to prove it. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the embodiment of excellence, winning six Super Bowls in the past 40 years. It is a run of consistency unmatched in the NFL.

Even with all of that, the balance of power may be shifting. The AFC North is the most balanced and compelling division in the NFL.

The Steelers have had just seven losing seasons in the past four decades. On the other end of this spectrum, the Browns have epitomized futility. Since returning to the NFL, they are 73-151 (.326) with one playoff appearance and 11 seasons with 10 or more losses. Over the past 14 seasons, the Browns have had four general managers, six head coaches and 18 different starting quarterbacks.

The Steelers? They have had Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll.

But even the genius and grit of Tomlin will be tested as never before this season as the Steelers try to revive themselves from an 8-8 season. It will have to be done with a team that is older and slower. And, they will have to do it against the Browns and Bengals who are younger, faster ... and just a little bit smarter than they were a year ago.

Baltimore has had to rebuild a team after losing key veterans to salary dumps, trades and free agency. Quarterback Joe Flacco got a $120.6-million extension — which pretty much shows you what winning a Super Bowl is worth. But when Anquan Boldin was traded and tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta came up injured he lost the receivers who caught 47% of his passes last season.

Adding Dallas Clark and Brandon Stokley sounded like an even trade-off — four or five seasons ago. Now? Not so much. The Ravens also have to play three division champions the first six weeks: Denver, Houston, Green Bay. The final three games are against an improved Detroit team, New England and division rival Cincinnati.

In Pittsbrugh, Ben Roethlisberger, doesn’t seem to have enough weapons either. The run game is suspect at best. His best receiver Mike Wallace is now playing in Miami. The defence is either old, or injury-prone, or both. It led the league in total yards allowed in 2012 and even the return of safety Troy Polamalu to full health isn’t likely to change that.

All of which brings the topic back to the Bengals and the Browns.

After five consecutive last-place finishes, Cleveland isn’t winning this division. But it will be more competitive and, come playoff time, there won’t be much more than a game or two seperating top from bottom in the division. The Browns had seven games decided by seven points or less in 2012, and lost five.

But he organization has been revamped from the top. Under offensive coordinator Norv Turner, the Browns will attack more down the field. Brandon Weeden is being given a chance to prove he can be the franchise quarterback. He has 16 games. If he falters, Tajh Boyd or Johnny Manziel will see themselves in Cleveland next year as a first-round draft pick.

Under defensive coordinator Ray Horton, Cleveland is going from a read and react defence to blitzing, high-risk, high-reward game.

Running back Trent Richardson, familiar with winning at Alabama, predicts this year will be different.

“One thing at Alabama, they teach you how to finish games. Last year, we didn’t have that, characterwise. This year, it’s going to be big on us to finish games.”

The Browns have a chance to get off to a quick start, playing four of their first six games at home — three against non-playoff teams.

“I think there’s going to be a big surprise on everybody’s faces,” Richardson said. “I think we’re going to be a big surprise to the world.”

The Bengals have made the playoffs three of the past four seasons, and their future may be now. Quarterback Andy Dalton gets new weapons in running back Giovanni Bernard and tight end Tyler Eifert, to go along with wide receiver A.J. Green.

With Tomlin and Roethlisberger never count out the Steelers. The Browns aren’t horrible anymore. The Bengals believe their future is now. The Ravens?

They’ll take the field in 2013 with 10 different starters from the team that beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl; six on defence. No previous Super Bowl champion has lost more than five starters the following year.

“Every move we’ve made is what’s best for our football team to be the best team we can. Period,” coach John Harbaugh told reporters. “We’ll just see where that takes us,”

Afterall, with Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil lined up on defence, it can’t be all bad.

GABBERT NO. 1

Not sure if “winning” is exactly the best word considering we’re talking about the moribund Jacksonville Jaguars but Blaine Gabbert will be the club’s No. 1 quarterback this season.

This is a bit like being put in charge of the good ship Posiedon.

Gabbert missed on just three of 16 passes for 165 yards and touchdown Saturday against the Jets to beat out Chad Henne.

He also fractured his thumb banging it off a NY player’s helmet but is expected to be ready for Week 1.

HARD TIME

Broncos linebacker Von Miller is expected to get a six-game suspension for violating the league’s substance policy.

It’s unknown how Miller ran afoul of the policy but it must be something substantial. Ordinary substance-abuse violations typically trigger a four-game suspension.

There is speculation that Miller’s violations were an attempt to cheat the league’s drug-testing system. It is just one more blow to Denver’s Super Bowl hopes, after already losing linebacker Elvis Dumervil.

TURF BITS

The Bengals have released linebacker Aaron Maybin. A former first-round draft pick, he also failed to stick with the Bills and Jets ... The Saints have released former Seattle backup quarterback Seneca Wallace after he threw an interception and fumbled in a game against the Raiders ... The Vikings released Jacob Lacey who played corner last year in Detroit ... Former Rams general manager Billy Devaney on trading first-round pick Alex Barron: “He does not like anything about the game except getting paid.” Barron is now collecting his money as the starting left tackle in Oakland ... Lions cut Mike Thomas, who caught 66 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns in 2010 in Jacksonville ... Jaguars released wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and offensive lineman Jason Spitz. Massquoi caught 118 passes for 1,745 yards and seven touchdowns in four seasons with the Browns before siging with the Jags this spring.

JOHNSON LOOKING HEALTHY FOR BILL

EJ Manuel or Kevin Kolb’s chances of looking good when they suit up for Week 1 as the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback just got a little better.

Stevie Johnson, the team’s No. 1 receiver, is ready to return and will play Saturday in a pre-season game against the Redskins.

Johnson, who has three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, including 1,046 receiving yards last season, worked out extensively Monday. He suffered a hamstring strain Aug. 2 when he pulled up on a route during a team drill.

“I’ll be out there,” Johnson told the Bills website. “I’ll be out there we’ll see how I feel game speed when everything changes a little bit. The twitches are a little bit faster. I’ll be out there to see how it is and then we’ll be rolling after that.”

Johnson said he still feels the hamstring twitch on “almost every play.”

Still, Johnson at reduced speed and effectiveness, remains the best option for Kolb or Manuel and the receiving-starved Bills.

NFL'S NFC North should be an absolute beast

The Baltimore Ravens have a gilded quarterback in Joe Flacco and the Super Bowl to prove it. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the embodiment of excellence, winning six Super Bowls in the past 40 years. It is a run of consistency unmatched in the NFL.

Even with all of that, the balance of power may be shifting. The AFC North is the most balanced and compelling division in the NFL.

The Steelers have had just seven losing seasons in the past four decades. On the other end of this spectrum, the Browns have epitomized futility. Since returning to the NFL, they are 73-151 (.326) with one playoff appearance and 11 seasons with 10 or more losses. Over the past 14 seasons, the Browns have had four general managers, six head coaches and 18 different starting quarterbacks.